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First Good News rehab participant going to Texas

Ministry treats inmate addiction

By CHARLOTTE BURROUS burrousc@ canoncitydailyrecord.com

Posted:
10/14/2011 08:24:22 AM MDT

Sheriff Jim Beicker, left, presents a Bible and certificate to Robert Owens, who recently completed the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry program. Owens traveled to Longview, Texas, where he will complete a year of drug and alcohol treatment with the Wiseman Ministries. (Charlotte Burrous/Daily Record)

He is on his way. Recently, Robert Owens completed the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry program in Fremont County.

"It's a real long detailed Bible study," he said. "It took me about five months. It gave me a lot more insight into the Bible and how God works."

After completing his jail sentence on Sept. 27, Owens traveled to Longview, Texas, where he will complete a yearlong drug, alcohol and addictive recovery program.

This opportunity came when the Church at the Abbey partnered with Wiseman Ministries, which works with the Texas prison system. Because of the numerous prisons in this area, Pastor Keith Naumann decided to organize the program for the inmates in Fremont County.

"Most of the time, these prisoners somehow got into drugs and alcohol then other things happened because of it," he said. "If you just come out of prison, that problem isn't fixed."

To help them to learn to live without drugs and alcohol, Wiseman Ministries works with the former inmates, counseling and helping the homeless and those addicted to drugs and alcohol to stay off the street, he said.

As the first participant from Fremont County, Owens entered the program with the plan to help others coming out of the prisons.

Rather than deciding not to be around the bad influences, "God wants to fix you so you can go back to help them," Naumann said. "It's not about you. It's not for you; it's not even by you; but it's through you.

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A lot of these hard times we come by, we say, 'God, what did I do to make you mad?'"

The program in Texas will help the inmates get their priorities straight, he said.

During his time in the Good News Jail & Prison program, Owens said he learned to make the most of his life.

"Our life is what we make of it," Owens said.

Sheriff Jim Beicker said he is excited about what the program does for the inmates.

"We are very excited about Bob's success and wish him the best," he said. "He's just a great role model for others and has struggled to make changes in his life. We just couldn't be more excited for him and wish him the best in his endeavors in this program in Texas."

For more information about the Wiseman Ministries program, call Naumann at 252-1584.